Oasis catches attention with crucifixion scene

How was your Easter?  Did you have candy egg hunts and bunny rabbits? Maybe a big meal with baked ham and mashed potatoes?

For many of our neighbors, that’s the long and short of Easter.   

“There are people in Warren County who don’t know what it’s all about.  It’s about more than bunnies and Easter egg hunts,” said Kevin Clark, associate pastor of the Oasis Church of McMinnville.

The Oasis, as the Christian assembly is popularly known, has borrowed some ideas from the outdoor advertising industry to interpret the Easter message to the general public and, hopefully, to reach souls seeking peace and purpose.

Motorists driving into downtown McMinnville from East Main Street have been confronted with a dramatic visualization of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago.  The Roman execution squad has been there, along with assorted animals like those that roamed around Jerusalem, unaware of the Earth-shaking events that were happening.

“A young couple with a baby had never been to church. They said they didn’t know anything about Jesus,” Clark related, describing one of several exchanges with visitors at the Calvary visualizaiton this weekend.

Another “young mom with her daughter, about four or five years old, was in tears thanking us for doing this,” he added.

The animals, including a friendly camel, attract children who bring along their parents, Eddie Rowland explained.  He’s another member of the Oasis congregation that has staged crucifixion and re-created nativity scenes on the grassy lot since 2008.

“It gives us the opportunity to witness to people who are just driving by,” Rowland emphasized.  “It’s a way to give Christ the glory, both in His birth and His death.”

The stark image of a bloodied body outstretched on a wooden cross has an arresting effect on people approaching the scene for the first time, Rowland and Clark agreed.

“Sometimes we’ve had traffic jams” where East Main joins Sparta Street.  A few drivers show annoyance and impatience, even shouting obscenities, Clark admitted. 

But according to the Bible, some of those present at the original Crucifixion reacted in much the same way.  (Matthew 27:39-44, Mark 15:29-32, Luke 23:35-37)  

At its worship center at 212 East Main Street, The Oasis welcomes members and visitors on Sunday mornings with breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by Sunday School at 9 a.m. and worship at 10 a.m.  The services can be viewed online with Facebook and YouTube at “The Oasis of McMinnville.” Mid-week services start at 6 p.m. Wednesdays.